hot prowler

Someone broke into my house the morning at around 4:30 while we were still in bed. Stole money from my wallet and a cell phone from the kitchen. My wife heard a noise but didn't get up for another 20 min. or so and saw the kitchen door ajar. Found a wicked hand tool we have hanging out in the pantry for gardening that was set over by a french door in the back. Scary stuff.

They/he apparently entered through the back where my bikes are stored and looked around the tool shed and garage but didn't seem to disturb anything. I'll be looking at what I can do to upgrade my weak security today.

 

That sucks! sorry to hear that. glad no one got hurt.

video cameras and flood lights on sensors work well to scare them off.
and, put one of this in every window.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. Cash and a cell phone sound like the work of a teenager or a drug fiend, maybe you guys left a door or window unlocked...
I like @Redman 's suggestions. Maybe even get a beware of dog sign for gates or fences.

 

Doors and windows all locked. Have a dog sign on the front since I used to have rotts for 30 yrs. Don't want more dogs. Got more than one gun handy. Weird thing is, walking around in the dark with a flashlight and a loaded 9mm, I felt much more apprehensive than before I grabbed the gun. I feel safer without it in the sense that I have a better chance of defending myself hand to hand (4th deg. black belt Aikido). Maybe false security, I don't know. Definitely need lights with motion detectors front and rear. Now that it is lighter, I can see where the wet grass is matted down from someone walking around parts of the perimeter probably casing the joint. Property is very large, too many ways in and no way to secure perimeter, house is not very near neighbors, way too many ways into the house once the outer patio is breached. Thinking motion detector alarm in the area that they had to go through before getting to the house proper and probably in the house as well. Too many ways into the house to beef up, wouldn't even slow a pro down. I think an alarm that they have gotten close would be helpful. Agree it was a kid looking for a quick score based on what they took vs what they could've had if they weren't trying to get in and out as fast as possible. There's a frigging skateboard park in the middle of my block 2 doors down. And while mostly it is a nuisance, it attracts riff raff. I've found discarded paraphernalia like meth pipes around the front more than once.

 

Scary.

 

Whenever I hear things in the middle of the night I grab my trusty Reggie Willits signed baseball bat that was won in a golf tournament. It's worth more as protection than memorabilia. It's usually just our water dispenser heating up water or the wind blowing but I'd be scared if I saw a dude in his undies running at me with a baseball bat!

Thieves are terrible, that's why my bikes live inside the house even though I have a room inside my garage I could lock them up in.


Edit: So the prowler wasn't a hot chick? Misleading thread title!

 

Sucks for sure.
I caught my apartment neighbor, with whom I shared a balcony, in my apartment in Hollywood many years ago. He had a pillow case full of me and my brother's stuff and literally a handful of cash-our rent money! After a brief struggle, he was subdued with probably the best punch of my life-a right to the nose, which erupted into a fountain of blood. Unfortunately, the LAPD saw this act of defense as an assault and I was taken to jail alongside the thief! Charges were eventually dropped against me, but be careful-those criminals have rights too! Ha!!!!

 

Is the phone an iPhone? You could try the "find my iphone" (no idea about android but they probably have a similar thing)

 

The one thing that gets my heart going faster than finding out a low-life was in our house is being jolted awake at 2am by a shrieking alarm. It took me a while to get my wits together. Glad everyone is OK.

 

Bummed you have to deal with the violation, but glad for the reasonable outcome.

With the situation as you describe it, I would reconsider your moratorium on dog ownership. Even a small one would be advantageous. Especially now that your house was a successful job and they realize you have a sign but no dog. Not convenient, but many aspects of protecting your family and property are not.

Power on...

 

The dash of Middle English is a nice touch.

 

Sadly, it's hard to over-do security in So Cal. Although I might have overdone it. I've got a guy. PM if needed.

 

Having this guy stand on your front porch doesn't count. .....or does it?

 

Bang BANG...Who's there??

 

Ooooh now that's a HOT prowler.... Wait, did I say that out loud?

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/pumping-up-with-hans-and-franz/n9967?snl=1

skip to 5:02

Sorry to hear of your security breech and theft @blixet . Super disconcerting.

 

A security breech -- is that like a chastity belt or something? I kid because I love!!

 

They've come back. Maybe twice, for sure last night around 10 or 11. Heard something like a thump, very faint, with the rain and other outside noises, I wasn't sure I even heard something here so I didn't get up. They tried to bust in through a locked exterior door by either kicking it or ramming it with a shoulder. When I unlocked it this morning to go out I saw the door jamb damaged and the strike mounted in it hanging by one screw that was half way still attached. Why they didn't go all the way is a mystery. At that point it was essentially breached.

Spent a bunch of time repairing that and trying to beef it up with some metal plating and installed a flip lock on it and another door.

This guy (or guys/girls) is psycho. Motion sensor lights aren't stopping them. Twice now when for sure we are home, early morning and late evening. I have a knot the size of basketball in my stomach. Got a motion alarm in the area they keep heading for that will screech and wake me.

 

Sorry to hear. I hope you catch whoever it is. This is why I keep a samurai sword next to the bed. The unsheathing of a high carbon sword is almost as unmistakable as a pump action shotgun.

 

Sorry to hear of this shite. Unfortunately, lowlifes have the advantage of having nothing to lose.

You've gotta get man's best friend back on duty. Easier than moving or running security all night, right? Good dogs aren't intimidated by psycho.

 

If he/they returned in such a short time, it would seem to be a drug addict more than anything else and he was probably high if he went and made as much noise/disturbance as trying to bust a door in would do.

 

We were without law and order for a time after the hurricanes in 2004... There was a bit of looting in our area- mostly of abandoned or condemned homes. Our German Shepherd scared more than a few away from our house. Never needed the 00 buck.

 

Look into the Arlo security cameras. They're easy to install and they are completely wireless. If they detect motion it will send an immediate alert to your phone. We have 4 cameras around our home.

We were burglarized a few years ago and it was not fun trying to sleep at night, wife and kid were freaked out. We also have the ring doorbell camera, and a home monitoring alarm service. We don't sleep without the alarm activated. Ever.

And my bike is even locked up and chained to the wall in my garage.